A long, low bunkhouse stretched out far enough away where it wouldn’t smell like horse shit all the time, and he had to admit it seemed to be in way better repair than the house, at least from the outside. Ichabod had been right about that.
“Hey, you gotta take your good where you can get it.” That was the right thing to say, wasn’t it? “Sometimes you gotta do things that are the best for the kids, even if they don’t believe for a moment that it’s for the best.”
Ichabod stopped and blinked at him, those pretty blue eyes catching the light. “Exactly! He’s really mad that he’s not gonna get to graduate with all of his friends and hang out with them over the summers and do all the things that you can do in a city. He hates it. Aspen is so small and Snowmass is so small and we live so far out of town that they won’t even maybe deliver a pizza!”
Well, shit. He hadn’t expected this—how long had it been since this dude had an adult to talk to, for fuck’s sake? “Well…y’all figure out where you want your pizza from, and I can go pick it up.”
Mr. Hot and Sexy tilted his head. “You would do that?”
“Mister, I lived in Texas on a ranch that was the size of asmall country. I’m used to driving long distances to get stuff—way longer than it takes to get to Snowmass or Aspen from here.” He knew from having to haul his ass into town.
“That’s awesome. I know Snowmass Village has a pizza place at the ski lodge, maybe?”
Ellis snorted, the sound way ruder than he’d intended, but shit. “One of the things that you’ll always find in small towns is a pizza joint and a place that makes tacos, at least in the Southwest.”
“Right.” Ichabod chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m tickled that I can get green chile here still. It’s not as good as the stuff at home, but it’ll do. Come on, buddy. I’ve had enough emotional shit for today. Let me show you your space.”
“Yes, sir.”
They shared a grin, and he appreciated that Ichabod seemed to be relaxing around him already.
He felt like the guy was pretty damn tense, too.
In fact, he was seriously considering calling Rick on the way to pick up the pizza and telling him to leave this guy to it, at least for now.
If they decided to sell, then he could tell Rick, but Ellis thought Ichabod and his little family had enough stress as it was.
“Anyway here’s the bunkhouse. It hasn’t been cleaned in about, I would say a month.” Ichabod opened the door and let him in.
Ellis was relieved when the lights came on to see that the cowboys who had been on their way out had not done any vandalism to the place, at least not any that was visible. He’d have to flush the toilets and check the showers for drainage and stuff to make sure nobody had poured concrete or anything, but maybe they were pissed off, notvengeful.
“So, I would have the run of it right now?” He could live with this. So could Mavis.
“You would.”
“And the salary? Koby said I would need to ask you.” He knew his bottom barrel figure was already covered, but?—
Ichabod named a figure that made his eyebrows go up. “So are you interested?”
“Just like that?” Ellis asked.
“I’m pretty good about people.” Ichabod stuck out his hand.
“I have my dog and my horse here with me.”
Ichabod chuckled and nodded. “I’m going to get the kids a dog. I love dogs.”
Ellis shook Ichabod’s hand. “I’m your cowboy then.”
Ichabod’s cheeks went pink. Interesting. “Good. Then I’ll order pizza.”
Chapter Three
“Daddy?”
Ichabod glanced up from his wheel, confused as hell for a second to see his eldest daughter in the doorway. One, it was two o’clock in the morning. Two, he was out in the studio, and the kids… They weren’t supposed to be out of the house after dark. Three?
Well, he wasn’t sure he had a three. But it didn’t matter if he had a three or not, because his six-year-old was standing there in her nightgown, blinking at him like a little ghost.
